Pope Benedict Says He Broke Up ‘Gay Lobby’ at the Vatican – VIDEO

Pope Benedict XVI says that during his time as Pontiff he was able to break up an alleged ‘gay lobby’ within the Vatican.

Benedict made the assertion in his new memoir The Last Conversations, set to be published in September.

Reuters reports:

In the book, Benedict says that he came to know of the presence of a “gay lobby” made up of four or five people who were seeking to influence Vatican decisions. The article says Benedict says he managed to “break up this power group”.

Benedict resigned following a turbulent papacy that included the so-call “Vatileaks” case, in which his butler leaked some of his personal letters and other documents that alleged corruption and a power struggle in the Vatican.

Italian media at the time reported that a faction of prelates who wanted to discredit Benedict and pressure him to resign was behind the leaks.

Much has been made of the so-called ‘gay lobby’ over the years. At the time of Benedict’s resignation from the papacy in 2013, it was reported that the existence of this group heavily influenced Benedict’s decision to become the first pope in history to step down. 

Benedict himself says his decision to resign was based on health reasons.

When Pope Francis was elected as Benedict’s successor he acknowledged the existence and influence of a ‘gay lobby’, saying, “There is talk of a ‘gay lobby’ and it’s true, it exists. We have to see what can be done.” In 2014, a cardinal said that Francis has been trying to “purify” that lobby–a statement which suggests Benedict was unable to break up the gay power group as he claims.

At least one former high ranking member of the clergy, Krzysztof Charamsa, the gay priest who was fired by Pope Francis after coming out as gay, has denied the existence of a gay lobby.

Watch a report from the AP on Pope Francis’ acknowledgment of a gay lobby as well as a trailer for PBS’ Frontline report Secrets of the Vatican, which chronicles the workings of the gay lobby (and is an absolute must-watch), below.

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Dolly Parton, Ozone Hole, Rafael Nadal, Shark Sonogram, Nancy Grace, Zac Efron: NEWS

2016 ELECTION. Bill Clinton’s tarmac meeting with Loretta Lynch causes political fracas: “The reaction to the meeting was so politically fraught that Ms. Lynch is expected on Friday to announce that she will rely on the recommendations of career prosecutors and the F.B.I for the outcome of the email investigation. The conversation lasted roughly 20 minutes, and Ms. Lynch’s husband was present for it. But Donald J. Trump, the presumptive Republican presidential nominee, pounced on the news in a radio interview on Thursday.”

DECISIONS. Gay Italian man awarded $30K over denial of partnership visa: “The European Court of Human Rights has stated that Italy’s refusal to grant Douglas McCall a residence permit violated he and his partners rights under the European Convention on Human Rights. The Strasbourg court held that to deny same-sex couples residence permits on ‘family grounds’ was discrimination.”

ENDORSEMENTS. Hillary Clinton has Dolly Parton’s vote: “Hillary might make as good a president as anybody ever has,” Parton admits. “I think no matter if it’s Hillary or Donald Trump, we’re gonna be plagued with PMS either way — presidential mood swings!” she jokes. “But I personally think a woman would do a great job. I think Hillary’s very qualified. So if she gets it, I’ll certainly be behind her.”

POSTERIORS. Rafael Nadal caught with his pants down.

DEPARTURES. Nancy Grace leaving Headline News. “Grace, 56, broke the news ‪Thursday morning to her staff of 18 — some of whom have been working with her since the late 1990s, when she got her start co-hosting on Court TV with the late Johnnie Cochran — at the network’s CNN Center headquarters in Atlanta, where Grace shoots the majority of her shows. New York-based staffers learned of her departure simultaneously via video conference call.”

MUSIC. Apple in talks to acquire Jay Z’s Tidal music streaming service: “Apple is exploring the idea of bringing on Tidal to bolster its Apple Music service because of Tidal’s strong ties to popular artists such as Kanye West and Madonna. The talks are ongoing and may not result in a deal, these people said. Terms of the potential deal aren’t known.”

EARTH. The ozone hole is healing, say experts. “The researchers said they had found “fingerprints” indicating that the seasonal ozone hole over Antarctica, a cause of concern since it was discovered in 1984, was getting smaller. Although the improvement has been slight so far, it is an indication that the Montreal Protocol — the 1987 treaty signed by almost every nation that phased out the use of chemicals known as chlorofluorocarbons, or CFCs — is having its intended effect. Full recovery of the ozone hole is not expected until the middle of the century.”

FROM THE WOMB. Scientists capture Tiger Shark sonogram. “After landing at 12.5 foot, pregnant tiger shark, the team does an ultrasound to discover she’s carrying 20 well-developed pups!”

HIGHLIGHTS. What’s up with Zac Efron’s hair?

EERIE. Here’s what it sounds like to enter the magnetic fields of Jupiter. “NASA is celebrating Independence Day this year by putting a spacecraft into orbit around Jupiter. The space agency’s Juno mission is slated to arrive at the massive planet on the night of July 4th, after having traveled across more than 1.7 billion miles of space over the past five years. Once Juno arrives, the probe’s main engine will fire, slowing the spacecraft down and placing it into orbit around Jupiter. It’s an important event for the mission, especially since NASA has only one shot at getting it right. If Juno flies past Jupiter, the mission will be blown.”

FRIDAY FLESH. NYC based writer, model, and actor Donnie Dae.

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The GLAAD Wrap: Hannah Hart starring in 'Dirty 30','Hap and Leonard' renewed, Todrick Hall's tour documentary, and more!

www.glaad.org/blog/glaad-wrap-hannah-hart-starring-dirty-30hap-and-leonard-renewed-todrick-halls-tour-documentary

These Gay Adult Films Are Totally Safe For Work

Through the power of creative editing, gay porn is given a whole new cultural light in the below video thats been spreading across the web like wildfire.

Watch below:

feedproxy.google.com/~r/queerty2/~3/0BdUE-gU2DQ/gay-adult-films-totally-safe-work-20160701

No Tip? IHOP Waitress Finds “Gay Is Wrong!” Written On Her Receipt

“Antigay Slurs Scrawled On Dinner Receipts” is officially a thing; an exciting new genre that has already commandeered an impressive number of hits in the “blogosphere,” a word we promise to never use again. So far, we’ve seen lesbian couples hassled by chefs, waiters learning they’ll burn in hell, and people totally lying about finding mean things written on their receipts. To name but a few.

Now Taylor Stewart, a waitress at the International House of Pancakes in Enid, Oklahoma, can add her story to this distinguished list.

Related: Portland Apple Store Prints Receipt For “Fag” Customer, Declines To Rectify Situation

“I’m a people person and that’s why I have this job because I love people,” she tells WQAD-TV, candidly.

“You know, and I like to serve them and, you know, make them happy.”

But on Monday night, one extremely rude customer managed to sully her usually sunny disposition — leaving an antigay slur scrawled on his dinner receipt.

Related: What This Restaurant Thinks Of Your Fairy Drink Order

While wrapping up a double shift, Stewart waited on a man and his three children, and screwed up one of the orders.

Though the mistake was quickly corrected and Taylor apologized, this customer continued being quite nasty to her, leaving a mess at the table (with the remnants of the meal, we mean), and storming out the door with his family once they were done eating.

Worst of all, instead of a tip for his family’s $36 meal, the man wrote “Gay is wrong!” on the receipt.

“I was just shocked,” Taylor says. “I was more shocked than hurt, but I mean it did hurt. If you don’t like it, If you don’t agree with it, that’s fine. That’s your own opinion, but I mean just let people be who they are and don’t say hurtful things.”

Related: What This Restaurant Thinks Of Your Fairy Drink Order

Neither Stewart nor any of the other IHOP employees recognized the customer, and WQAD was unable to identity him based on the signature on his receipt.

And while we’re at it, here are two more examples of this Antigay Receipt business: In April, a lesbian waitress received Biblical verse instead of a tip. And back in 2014, a transgender customer dining with eight friends atWashington D.C.’s Bistro 16 received a receipt with the words  “Gay bitches” scrawled on it. Oh, and then there’s this.

So, you see? Even though we’re starting to worry that every story along these lines is a hoax, it appears this receipt business really is a thing.

Watch the report below.

feedproxy.google.com/~r/queerty2/~3/plv72pscacc/no-tip-ihop-waitress-finds-gay-wrong-written-receipt-20160701

UK Prime Minister Candidate Linked to ‘Gay Cure’ and Anti-Equality Organization

Stephen Crabb, one of the five candidates to replace David Cameron as the UK’s next prime minister had to deny his homophobic views when he launched his candidacy to become the next leader of the Conservative Party Wednesday.

Crabb presents himself as the “blue collar” candidate for the job. The BBC called him “a rising star of the Tory [Conservative] party,” and pointed out that because he was “raised on a council estate by a single mother, he has a back story to which many Tory Members of Parliament  are attracted.’”

“I genuinely believe that what I stand for, the values that I represent,” he said when he announced his candidacy “are exactly those required to get us through the challenges ahead.”

It’s a shame that some of those values which Crabb represents are a stance against anti-marriage equality and a belief in conversion (or ex-gay) therapy.

Or, at least, they used to be.

The Independent reported that “in 2013, Mr Crabb voted against extending marriage equality to same-sex couples. He has also been linked to an organization [CARE or Christian Action Research and Education], which has advocated that homosexuality and bisexuality can be ‘cured’.” It has in the past sponsored a “gay cure conference,” an event with “a special focus on how religious professionals and friends/relatives can respond biblically and pastorally to those struggling with unwanted SSA (same-sex attraction)”.

From CARE’s website:

We support marriage as a lifelong commitment between one man and one woman. For this reason we, like many other religious and secular groups, stood against the introduction of same-sex marriage in the UK Parliament and in the Scottish Parliament during 2013 and 2014. We hold Government to account for the assurances they made about protections for people who cannot endorse the new definition of marriage.

Since the 1970’s, we have monitored the increasing impact of ‘adult’ material, which has become steadily more explicit and easy to access, especially through the internet. Pornography distorts reality; Leads to being unsatisfied by real life partners; Portrays people as prizes; Devalues sex.

London newspaper Metro reported that “Crabb started off his own parliamentary career by interning with CARE in the 1990s, and has reportedly maintained links with them since. In 2010, Crabb’s office hired interns from CARE.”

In March, however, after Crabb became Work and Pensions Secretary, he told The Daily Mail  that rumors that “he backs a ‘gay cure’ were ‘complete crap – I’ve never suggested being gay is a disease that requires therapy or a cure. I have great gay friends,’ he said”

Some people on Twitter didn’t seem to agree:

So of the three main contenders, May hates immigrants, Gove hates the poor and Crabb hates gays. Wonder what Liam and Andrea have to offer?

— Michelle Thomas (@onepoundstories) June 30, 2016

After #EURef fiasco hoped things couldn’t get worse @2tall4u2, but now this idiot wants 2 b PrimeMinister! 😱 #Crabb pic.twitter.com/isjByhRURJ

— PrincessBagel (@PrincessBagel) June 29, 2016

#Crabb thinks it isn’t an issue that he voted against equal marriage & wants gay people cured.

We beg to differ pic.twitter.com/MO9TdimTdl

— ohchrisburton (@ohchrisburton) June 29, 2016

Someone who supports gay ‘cures’ should not be considered fit to lead. Here’s a cure for nasty #Crabb pic.twitter.com/N79vWkOTsL

— Gary Bibby (@garybibby) June 30, 2016

So #Crabb is a homophobe? 😱 #disgrace Stephen Crabb forced to deny he is homophobic as he launches leadership bid t.co/BeUrk6YIfx

— Ms C Maxx (@MsCatieMaxx) June 30, 2016

Summary:#May: hates immigrants #Gove: hates the poor #Crabb: hates gays#Fox: sacked for giving his mate taxpayer £#Leadsom: tax dodger

— Michelle Thomas (@onepoundstories) June 30, 2016

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Rachel Maddow Lauds Obama and Out Transgender Servicemembers for Lifting of the Ban

Rachel Maddow took a look at yesterday’s historic announcement lifting the ban on transgender troops, allowing trans people to serve openly “effective immediately.”

Maddow started by talking about Bill Clinton’s early days in office when gays in the military consumed his first week, and the catastrophic compromise that ensued – Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell.

Which, of course, was undone by President Obama, whose strategy to do so was questioned at many points along the way. And it is Obama that should take the credit for that as well as the lifting of the transgender ban…along with another thing – service members who have been willing to come out and bravely declare they are transgender.

Says Maddow of the DADT repeal and the lifting of the trans ban:

“Both of them share this recognition that isn’t always reflected in the politics around these issues, but which is very very evident in the reality of military service, which is that…these folks are already there. They’re already there in place. The end of DADT wasn’t about letting gay people into the military. Gay people were already in the military. And the end of this policy won’t be letting trans people into the military. They’re already there…in considerable numbers.”

Watch:

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Last-Minute Injunction Halts Mississippi’s Anti-LGBT ‘Religious Freedom’ Law

If you protect three anti-LGBT religious beliefs but no others, you might be discriminating.

The post Last-Minute Injunction Halts Mississippi’s Anti-LGBT ‘Religious Freedom’ Law appeared first on ThinkProgress.

thinkprogress.org/lgbt/2016/07/01/3794929/mississippi-religious-liberty-injunction/

21 LGBT People Accused of Faking a Hate Crime

www.advocate.com/crime/2016/7/01/21-lgbt-people-accused-faking-hate-crime